Interactions between land-use history and earthworms control gross rates of soil methane production in an overwintering pasture

0378589 - BC 2013 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
Bradley, R.L. - Chroňáková, Alica - Elhottová, Dana - Šimek, Miloslav
Interactions between land-use history and earthworms control gross rates of soil methane production in an overwintering pasture.
Soil Biology and Biochemistry. Roč. 53, October (2012), s. 64-71. ISSN 0038-0717
R&D Projects: GA ČR GA526/09/1570
Institutional support: RVO:60077344
Keywords : earthworms * gross methane transformation rates * isotope dilution * land-use history
Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour
Impact factor: 3.654, year: 2012

The effects of earthworms on soil CH₄ emissions remain ambiguous, as previous studies revealed both positive and negative effects on net rates of CH₄ production. These differences may be linked to land-use history such as pasturing intensity, as the treading of livestock and the input of faeces will affect physical and chemical soil characteristics that are important to methanogenic and methanotrophic bacteria. In order to concomitantly measure the effects of earthworms on the activities of both of these bacterial groups, we performed an isotope dilution assay to measure gross CH₄ production and consumption rates. Samples from three soil types, differing mainly in pasture intensity over the past 15 years, were incubated for 8 weeks in the presence or absence of the vermicomposting species Eisenia andrei.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0210026